KOCHI:
Rapture, desire and repose all find expression in the mysterious abstractions of the body. Intrigued by this interplay of sensuality and introspection, two young Bangalore-based artists –Sohini Dasgupta and Abhishek Dasgupta—invite visitors to enter a 130-year- old heritage bungalow for their exhibition, Sweet Smell of the Cosm, a collateral project of the Kochi Muziris Biennale.
Large, torso-sized photographs (up to 40 x40) capture the world of the Garadi, a traditional south Indian
wrestling pit in Mysore. But beyond the smeared sweat and the gritty mud floor, spiritual forces emerge.
Rather than dwell on ethnographic detail, these photos emit blurred sweeps of light and energy. Can we see traces of a psyche in flux, or an urge to transcend mortal boundaries? “If we look back in history, we see references to Socrates and Plato using a common gathering place like a wrestling pit or a gymnasium for discussion and dialogue. In this arena, both body and mind could be enriched,” notes Abhishek.
For Sohini, getting physical with the medium was of prime importance. Setting aside her previous preference for digital compositions, she opted for the tactile pleasures of oil paints and charcoal. Small, dense drawings alternate with medium sized canvases (18 x 24). Her earthy palette of burnt sienna, crimson and brown forms a visceral link with the wrestler series. She discovers crumpled and linear permutations of the body, citing influences that range from artist Louise Bourgeois to Tantric Buddhist philosophy. Shorn of preconceived notions, what can the body tell us? “I believe in body intelligence,” says Sohini.
As wrestlers cool down, they submit to the calm aftermath of their exertions. So, too, Sohini and Abhishek find their reward in the aftermath of grappling with a particular work. There is a sweet interlude of tranquility, akin to a pleasant fragrance. Yet nothing is entirely resolved, but continually re-examined and dismembered.
Light and sound also play a key role in their exploration of the “Cosm,” a reference to the universe and its natural gifts. In photos of a dilapidated jute mill in West Bengal, Abhishek finds a profound silence amidst the clacking of machines. The tangled skeins of jute take on a fleshy form. In a painting of dense foliage, Sohini discerns light below the patterned shadow of the leaves. Beauty can be found anywhere, even in the swirl of mud on a wrestler’s back.
About the artists
Sohini Dasgupta (b. 1987, Gaya, India) has mounted two solo exhibitions, Step into the Light (2009) in Art
Konsult Delhi and Anahata-the unmanifest (2015.) in Alliance De Francaise Bangalore. She has also participated in group shows in India and abroad.
Abhishek Dasgupta (b. 1981, Kolkata) has maintained a consistent focus on conceptual photography. His
work has been included in group exhibitions in Barcelona, Madrid, Amsterdam, and Seoul, as well as closer to home in Bangalore, Kolkata and New Delhi.
